Well, since the food for Rosh HaShana meal should be kosher- god knows why- I'm pulling my hands of the cooking issue, leaving the mission in the experienced hands of my lovely grandma and aunt.

I'll take care for the wines... I guess we start with Champagne, I haven't decided yet about the label.for my aunt, that first thing she does when getting a glass of white/sparkling wine is to add Sprite to the glass, I'll offer sweet Lambrusco... I'm not gonna do the mistake and give her a fine Champagne once again...

for first course I thought of Rose (perhaps Vitkin's Rose) or the Pierre Sparr Sylvaner reserve. Now after reading what you wrote, Rogov, about the Viognier and Gefilte-fish match, I'm having second thoughts...

for main course I think of the Ricasoli Brolio '03 and/or Chapoutier Deschant '05.. I'm having hard times finding the right match for all that Polish cuisine... any suggestions?

for dessert I think it will be the Carmel Kerem Sha'al Gewurz. or the GHW Heights wine...

Not positive yet, but I'm thinking of finally opening my Petit Castel 04 (hasn't been properly stored, so it's time, if it's not too late) and a Recanati Barbera 2005. We'll see about the rest, probably Galil Mt. as this is a good wine for tough global economic times.

Not a news item but one of the many features items that Reuters writes and sends out on a daily basis to hundreds of newspapers worldwide. The piece was based on a New York City-Tel Aviv telephone interview for a much longer article about Israeli wines.

Great write up. Reminds me of a few years ago when Madonna came to Israel and they published her Rosh Hashana menu in Maariv and Yediot (the daily newspapers, pretty much like the NY Post and Daily News, only that everyone reads them instead of finding better papers like The NYTimes). Nice lineup.

Indeed, save for the gutturals, any consonant following the definite article receives a diacritic known as the dagesh forte, and the consonant is doubled (gemination). I cannot think of any instance outside of the ritual reading of the Torah (and even then, only among a real pedant), though, where someone would actually vocalize the doubling. Practically speaking, if you were to double the "sh" you wouldn't actually say ha-shshana; but you would emphasize the "sh" as if you were shushing someone at the library.

You bring up another issue, which is how to accurately transliterate the Hebrew, i.e., how to best represent the text in Latin characters. Here there are two major schools of the thought, the first of which attempts to provide a faithful representation of how the words are pronounced, even at the expense of elegance, added consonants, etc.; the second school, which I would call the scholarly school, attempts to best represent the manner in which the word appears in the Hebrew (the best systems are fully-reversible, i.e., the exact Hebrew text can be replicated from the transliteration), occasionally at the expense of readability. But when it comes to doubling "sh", even the most exact transliteration systems will, for aesthetic reasons, not transliterate as "shsh."

My wife Rachel and my 2 daughters began cooking last night and continued early this morning, even though we are invited out for 2 of the 4 Holiday meals. One of our sons will be home but the other is stuck in the army.

Second day of Rosh HaShannah and friends over this early evening for cheese and wine.

Domaine des Baumard, Trie Speciale, Savennieres, Loire, 2003: Golden straw in color, opening with a nose that calls to mind the aroma of sculptor's clay. Medium-bodied, opening to reveal notes of quince and white peaches, those with a hint of citrus peel and always in the background earthy minerals. On the long finish a generous hint of fits that is bound to make itself more dominant as the wine develops in the bottle. Drinking nicely now but will be at its best only from 2010-2017. NIS 210. Score 93.

Grand Vin Castel, Israel, 2005: Dark toward inky garnet with firm tannins now integrating nicely with spicy and smoky oak. Opens slowly in the glass to show a nose and palate of black currant, blackberry and purple plum fruits on a background of generous Mediterranean herbs and near-sweet tobacco. On the long finish hints of citrus peel, anise and dark chocolate. Drink now–2013. Score 92. K

Special Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004: Showing well from its youth but even better now. A limited edition of 600 bottles, this full-bodied blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Petite Sirah shows fine balance between tannins that are now integrating nicely, hints of sweet oak and generous but subdued black currant, plum and chocolate aromas and flavors. Drink now–2014. Score 92.

Didn't have the Recanati Barbera 2005 yet, but instead for 1st lunch opened up the Petit Castel 2004... quite enjoyable, complex, cassis, similar "red" fruits. Probably should have been decanted.

For 1st night dinner at a friend's - well, Young Selected Moscato - like Sprite or 7-Up. I like Sprite and 7-Up, and, more importantly, like the friends, so a chance to taste something that I normally don't.

Had The Yarden Syrah Ortal 2004, wow ! but .. great & delicious wine but way to early to drink ! it would need alot of air and swirling to calm its grippiness and strength,power. full body full of layers of different flavors btween currants to plums to bluberries some spices espresso cofee and earthy notes flying around, very long and deep with a very strong grippie long finish were the alcohol if felt ( 14.5 !! ) and a vey long aftertaste, loved it and clearly to young to drink, a bomb of power yet delicious !second day tryed teh Bustan Merlot 2002, a wine that i can get confused with a brdx wine very familiar charateristics but was a little lost in picking up the falvors, but overall a very silky smooth wine !!! full body a nice depth and comlexity and lovly finish but all in a relaxed way -nothing jumping out, all blended well- probably because it was after the Ortal of the night before that this one seemed to be a bit "slow", maybe not, i wonder how much life ahead this wine has ?there were other btls at the table like, Herzog Januesse 2007, Ch. Jaumare 2003, Capcanes Peraj Petita 2006, and i just realized i forgot to take out my btls of Domaine Pinnicle Apple icewine :x the most appropriate time of the year to try a wine like this, oh well . ill probably open them sometime in the next few weeksA wonderfull year to all !!Best regardsMenach

Thank you Rogtov for the notes !im really looking fwd for the next time i try the Ortal Syrah, maybe just for my palate its not that aproachable but definitly a delicious wine, Anxious to see it develop !! "non vedo l'ora !"Menach

Dug deep into the cellar for a lunch with very good friends; I was faid i was digging too deep but the wine was just fine.

1970 Chateau Mouton-Baron Philippe (Pauillac). Bought it young, a fine wine from a fine and very fruity vintage. Still fine and still good fruit, with additional aromas due to age and oxidation; almost a fig-like character. All very happy with it. My only bottle, but well served.

1999 von Simmern Rauenthaler Baiken spatlese. Nine years old and still showing fine fruit and acidity with a bit of honey in the backtaste.

1970 Warre vintage port for dessert. Still quite fruity, not as complex as one might expect from a port that old, so still shuold be able to develop. But that also was my only bottle, so I'll probably never know.